Every birthday party deserves a big cake, and we’re going to build one together to celebrate Retreat House’s 5th birthday, as well as commemorating a special holiday on the Gaudiya Vaishnava calendar - Govardhana Puja!
Most are familiar with Hindu/Indian holiday Diwali, which actually takes place over five nights, usually some time in October/November. Govardhana Puja is celebrated on the second night of Diwali.
Govardhana is the name of a mountain located in Mathura, India near the sacred village of Vrindavana, where Krishna was born and lived out his early years. Puja is another name for “the act of honoring/worshipping.” The holiday of Govardhana Puja celebrates the pastime of Krishna lifting the entire Govardhana mountain to protect the inhabitants of Vrindavana from a torrential rainstorm. At the heart of the story is the idea that God will always protect those who love Him, and, much like Retreat House, all are welcome under the shelter of God.
The traditional way this is celebrated is by making a replica of this hill out of sweets!
Retreat House Partner Lavanga Schlette will guide participants in a time of cake making and teaching. Schlette is a licensed massage therapist and yoga teacher who has found her passion and calling in the Hare Krishna community. Cross pollination is one of the core values of Retreat House, the idea of engaging in faith traditions other than one’s own with the hope, prayer and expectation it will only deepen one’s relationship with self, God and the world around us. We are blessed by Schlette’s love and wisdom!
The celebration will be as follows:
Community building of the hill
Telling the story of Govardhana Puja
Candle lighting & speaking about Retreat House’s birthday
Sacred song to bless the hill
Lunch
Lavanga will provide the base of the cake. We will have a sign up sheet with suggestions for guests to bring other elements which will be used to build/decorate the cake!
A photo of the actual hill in Mathura, India
*SPECIAL OFFER from Lavanga*
Lavanga is personally inviting you to experience her Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition through this amazing opportunity! As a part of her first U.S. tour called “Into the Forest,” Jahnavi Harrison will be performing on Sunday Oct 30th at the Irving Arts Center.
Raised in a family of Bhakti-yoga practitioners, Jahnavi has been on a lifelong quest of exploration in music, dance, visual art and the written word, aiming to channel her creative expression as a path to self-realization and service.
As a gift to the Retreat House community, an exclusive 30% discount on tickets is being offered. Enter the code SING30D when you Purchase tickets!